Seedkeepers Forest School

10/15/2026

09/30/2026

Folklore Winter Predictions:

According to Appalachian folklore, cutting open a ripe American persimmon seed can predict the severity and type of the upcoming winter weather.

How It Works
1. Gather Ripe Fruit
2. Split the Seed: Carefully slice a persimmon seed lengthwise down the middle to reveal the white kernel (embryo/cotyledon) inside.
3. Read the Shape:
• Spoon: Predicts a heavy, snowy winter where you will need a shovel.
• Fork: Predicts a mild, gentle winter.
• Knife: Predicts a bitterly cold, icy winter with winds that “cut like a knife”.

And the prediction is…… A SPOON! ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

09/23/2026

The Crossover To Autumn ~*

We collect data everyday pertaining to the weather. The children read the temperature and record it on a stick so we can refer to it at another time. Recently, after the creek beds have ran dry and the rain barrels became empty, we started recording our findings using the rain gauge.
For several weeks we would have a zero placed across the whole week. Every so often there would be a drop fall into our hand from the newly colder evenings creating condensation inside the glass…. and we would hope for more.
And just like that, Autumn comes, and the temperatures drop…..and rains begin to fall. And the creek beds become swollen and the rain barrels overflow. Oh we are so so grateful for all the seasonal shifts, and the gifts each one brings to our world around us….and the memories it places within our hearts 🫶🏻

09/08/2026

Sit Spots:

Sit Spots are a wonderful way to help children slow down and look closely at nature. Each year the children are invited to sit at the garden during their Farm To School Main Lesson and observe, listen, and feel the area around their spot. They record in their journal what they are drawn to during their observation. And they revisit this spot each season to understand plant cycles, seasons, insect cycles, and the sounds associated with each season.
How do you incorporate sit spots into your teachings ?✨

09/03/2026

We know the beautiful summer heat won’t last forever… but we sure are enjoying all the discoveries the season brings and cooling off in the creek ~*

08/27/2026

We are not sure how we are already a month into our program year, but here we are….slowly starting to notice the subtle shifting of seasons as we begin to welcome Autumn in all its glory. Leaves are beginning to let go and drift to the ground, some shifting their colors. Tree nuts are falling and mornings are beginning to become chilly. We are finding lots of caterpillars and inchworms passing through and hearing the scurrying of squirrels beginning their scavenger hunt of fallen nuts. What are you all noticing ✨

08/24/2026

Form Drawing :

Form drawing is a unique educational practice where children draw continuous, flowing lines, straight paths, and curves to build hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and the foundational skills for handwriting.

In the beginning of the your, our literacy lessons focus on the physical process of movement rather than a perfect final product. The children are building upon their motor skills: strengthening fine motor control, muscle memory, and pencil grip. It will enhance spatial tracking, teaching the up-and-down, left-to-right orientation, with midline crossing.

If you haven’t incorporated form drawing in your weekly rhythm, give it a try. A beautiful short story that coincides with the type of form is the perfect addition ✨

08/07/2026

Beneath the canopy, our journey begins. Head, heart, and hands in the forest. Muddy boots, open hearts, and endless wonder. Happy first days of forest school 🫶🏼

07/25/2026

Farm To Table Summer Program ~*

The children have created the most incredible meals together this week…harvesting fresh from the gardens to add to their recipes, spending each morning carefully preparing their lunch, from fire roasted potatoes, to kale salad, to learning how to mill grain for fresh pasta, to homemade ice cream….sharing in a meal each day that they created together, setting the table with fresh cut flowers, a lit candle and hand written ( from the children) affirmations on their plates ~* Truly the best week ever.

If your family is interested in leaning how to cook off-grid fresh from the garden with your child(ren) we will be offering a day camp this Autumn. Watch here for updates soon on when this will be ✨

jonesboroughtn farmtoschool johnsoncitytn

07/17/2026

Our Eco Quest Summer Program just finished up a week of deep discussions, hands-on discovering, and a huge sense of hope for the future of our Earth. These children were incredibly inspiring. We discussed ecosystems and the effects we can have, dissected owl pellets to understand how the connections are made…had a HUGE mind blowing discussion of energy, clean ones, green ones, and dirty ones and built solar ovens to back s’mores in…. Talked about the importance of bees and visited our apiary where the children suited up to observe how they communicate and their behaviors ( thank you Courtney Andrews for your help!) and built bug hotels for the solitary bees and beneficial insects…we talked about Reduce,Reuse,Recycle and made paper from used scraps and took a good look at our own lunch waste to make better choices….and we looked at our creek ecosystem to observe the signs and macroinvertebrates that determine a healthy waterway!!!

And through each day, we had the most passionate conversations about what we can do, what we can change, and how to support our environment. Thank you young minds…you are our future 🌎